Page 15 of The Nabob's Designing Daughter
Thinner and paler she might be, but her lips were plump and pink, and a need to kiss her surged in him.
Behind him, the heavy oak door creaked open, and Strachney appeared, framed by the dark, like a troll emerging from his lair.
“You’ll catch your death, girl. Get out of those wet clothes.” He sent Errol a glare. “Their lordships will be at breakfast soon.”
The loud laughter of children resounded from somewhere high in the castle.
“Those boys.” Strachney growled, low in his throat. “Insists on keeping them here.”
The duke’s late brother’s boys were in residence. The duchess mentioned that they’d have been brought down for introductions the day before, but they’d been confined to the nursery for some minor infraction.
As Ann handed over her wet cloak to a maid, the duke trotted down the stairs, scanning the grouping below.
“Ah, Strachney. Come through with me to breakfast, won’t you? The rain will subside soon, and then you must join the others. Did you bring your guns?”
“I did. I’ve a new Purdey fowler. My man has reworked the action on it for me.”
“Excellent,” the duke said. “Ann,” He nodded. “Dr. Robillard, come join us when you are ready.”
Ann curtsied. “I’ll go up and change, as you’ve ordered, Father.”
Strachney sent one last frown and followed the duke.
When both men were out of sight, Ann let out a long breath and took Errol’s arm. “Come along.”
The maid had left. It was just the two of them.
“To your bedchamber? No.”
She laughed. “Perhaps I’ll be bold and visit yours and we may finally speak without interruption.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but she shushed him and towed him up flights of stairs until she stopped on the landing. Down the corridor, a woman was singing, probably one of the maids at work.
A loud crash and a wail resounded down the far staircase. “I should see to that,” he said. “Perhaps someone is hurt.”
“It’s the boys. Come along.”
He followed her up more stairs and down another corridor into a brightly lit space at the top of the castle. Two boys sprawled on the floor, toy soldiers grouped in front of them. A dark-haired, dark-skinned woman swathed in a colorful sari looked up from a chair, while her counterpart, a fair-haired young servant girl in a drab gown rose from her mending.
“Ann,” the smaller boy squealed, and the other shouted a greeting. Both boys flung themselves into her arms.
So, it was true. The duke had taken in his brother’s by-blows born of a native woman during his time in India. It was only a minor scandal, but had been another reason William had hesitated about allowing Edme to visit Castle Kinmarty.
They were cheerful, mischievous boys, and clearly had charmed Ann. “Ravi, Arun, meet Dr. Robillard, come to help your aunt when the baby comes. And Errol, this is Sitara, a cousin, come from India to help look after these wild ones. And now I must go change into something dry. I won’t be but a moment.”
“Come and see my soldiers,” Ravi said, tugging on his hand.
“Wait a moment. I heard a wail earlier,” Errol said. “Has someone been injured?”
“Yes. A whole regiment of my troops were wiped out,” Arun cried, and from her place on the chair, their cousin chuckled.
“Well, then,” he said, getting down on his knees. “Perhaps I can tend to their wounds.”
Her nerves on edge,Ann donned one of her newest morning gowns, a sky-blue wool with embroidered trim and climbed the stairs back to the nursery. Errol had been more cordial to her than ever before. It was no use hoping they could be more than friends, but she prayed that they could remain on good terms after she told him everything. If she could but get up the nerve to do so.
In the nursery doorway, she heard his rich baritone. The boys had returned to their play, and he was speaking with Sitara, who smiled and greeted Ann and went back to her needlework.
“I’ve come to guide you to the breakfast room,” Ann said, leading him out. “I daresay you won’t know where it is.”
